Quote Of The Day By Steve Buscemi: 'I Don't Worry About Having Control So Much. I Think As An Actor, When You Go In, You Are Sort Of Giving Up...'

Steve Buscemi had his breakthrough in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," and the veteran actor hasn't looked back since. Buscemi dabbled in both mainstream and independent projects, including "Fargo," "Con Air," "The Big Lebowski," and "Ghost World." His contributions to film span decades, having directed "Trees Lounge," "Animal Factory," and "Interview" over the years.

On the television front, Buscemi's major acting debut was in the 1989 miniseries "Lonesome Dove." The actor's prominent TV credits include "The Sopranos," "Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Poker Face," and "Big Mouth," among others. He's been nominated for eight Primetime Emmy Awards, winning once for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for "Park Bench With Steve Buscemi." The actor also earned a Golden Globe for portraying Nucky Thompson in "Boardwalk Empire."

Buscemi has also appeared on "Miami Vice," "Tales from the Crypt," "L.A. Law," and "The Sopranos." He is set to co-star alongside Rob Mac and Lizzy Caplan in FX's video game adaptation "Far Cry."

The actor brings authenticity and versatility to all his Hollywood roles, making Buscemi perfect for today's quote of the day. 

"I don't worry about having control so much. I think as an actor when you go in, you are sort of giving up that control unless you're directing the film yourself. And I guess I don't have that much concern about it when I'm working with really good directors. Film is collaboration, and I think all of the really good directors surround themselves with the best people."

The above quote comes from Buscemi's interview with The Talks. When asked whether it is possible to be completely in control on a film set, Buscemi explained that acting, by definition, means giving up control so that you can walk a mile in a character's shoes. 

Buscemi also emphasized the importance of film being a collaborative process, where competent directors and crew ensure that actors don't have to worry about being in control all the time.

Buscemi went on to state that a successful collaborative process hinges on trust. 

"I think the more you trust your director, the more you're willing to put yourself out there and take more risks and not be afraid," Buscemi said in the aforementioned interview with The Talks. Citing his role in Armando Iannucci's "The Death of Stalin," Buscemi explained that while playing a real-life historical figure was "intimidating," he ultimately put faith in the script's interpretation of the character. 

"I don't really think about emotions, it's more about behavior and reactions and that really depends on the director and the writers and the other actors," Buscemi said, bringing his thoughts on collaboration full-circle. When asked if trust only applies on set, Buscemi says that it carries over to the editing room, where "all of the good things that you think that you're bringing to the film will actually be in the film."

• "TV is tough. It's a tough pace. You might think directing TV would prepare you for directing a film. In my case, it's the other way around. I never would have attempted it had I not directed a film. I mean, you're shooting an hour's show in seven days. That's a lot of material. So you have to be incredibly focused, especially in an ensemble show like that where you're dealing with a lot of actors." — from a 2000 interview with Salon

• "I think that most of the directors that I've really enjoyed working with, like [Jim] Jarmusch and Tom DiCillo and Alex Rockwell, they all have a love for actors. So I like that in a director, and not only a love for working with actors but a love for working with the whole crew and making everybody feel like they're collaborating, and not just being told what to do. Though all these directors, and I would include the Coen brothers and Quentin [Tarantino], have a very unique vision of what they want, at the same time they're able to listen to ideas and make people feel like everyone is making the film. That's something that I tried to do." — from a 2001 interview with The Guardian

• "Nothing's really changed for me over the years. I like telling stories about people with problems. I can't really put it much simpler than that. Relationships are interesting to me. Not just between men and women but fathers and sons, brothers and sisters and friends." — from a 2007 interview with Mother Jones